This is a story of rebellion, love and fortitude in the face of Ottoman oppression.

It starts in January 1823, the day after the famous battle waged near Kritsa, when Christian rebels faced the combined Arab and Turk forces. In the village graveyard four mourners stand over the shrouded body of the exceptional female rebel, Rodanthe. Each suffers the loss of a daughter, friend, lost love or valued ally.

Her injured papa, Mathaios, kneels at her graveside, begging forgiveness for his sinful decision to keep her baptismal gold a secret. He later bequests the remaining coins to her young friend Petros. A gift with consequences beyond imagination. Sharpshooter, Kostas loved Rodanthe, but only realised this truth moments before her death. Now dependent on others for his mobility, he resolves to play a significant role in the continuing conflict. When rebel leader Captain Kazanis leaves the graveyard, his focus is on leading the local fight for freedom. However, betrayal and grief take him far beyond his beloved Crete to Missolonghi on the Greek mainland.

Such is the importance of Rodanthe and Kazanis, their home villages in Crete hold annual remembrance services for them.

On the Greek mainland, the place renamed The Sacred City of Missolonghi holds an annual re-enactment of the exodos in The Garden of Heroes.

RICOH IMAGING

As a second novel often has a hard job of living up to the first one, I’m delighted with the early reviews. Richard Clark, acclaimed author of Eastern Crete—A Notebook and other Greek travel guides, wrote – ‘Yvonne Payne’s no-holds-barred historical adventure rips along at a breathless pace. I loved it.’

To find buy the paperback or ebook from your ‘local’ Amazon just Click Here.

If you want to buy a paperback in Crete, then you can buy from Eklektos Bookstore in Elounda or Nikitakis Gift Shop, opposite Aristidis cafe in Kritsa.

I’d love to know what you think about this novel. You can leave a comment below and/or leave a review on Amazon.